The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-21
TEXAS METHODS.
Republicans Forced to Seek Personal Safety
by Sleeping in the Woods.

Republicans Forced to Seek Personal Safety
by Sleeping in the Woods
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.--In the Texas investi-
cation, to-day, Rigg P. Hackworth white broth
of of the memorial;sts) was sworn and
examined. He is justice of Brenham, and
Republican The feeling towards Republicans
following the election last November. was very
bitter. The witness was several times advised
by Democratic friends not to stay at his homo.
and in consequence he left for time, with his
family. On occasion he was informed that
crowd had assembled threatening to go and
shoot into the witnesss house. This was the day
that his brother the memorialist, left Brennan.
The witness asked to describe the circum.
stances of his brothers leaving. He said he had
heard great many threats toward his brother.
His brother told him he had sold his property
and was to leave the next day. Half an hour
later Democratic friend came into witnesses Of
fee and pointed to a crowd of forty or fifty men
on the street and said they insisted upon his
brothers leaving that night The witness got
his mother to persuade his brother to leave that
night. The witness, however. called upon Q
prominent Democratic friend to ask ii his broth
er could remain until the next day. fearing that
his house would be burned down before he could
get the pay for Ii This friend, said Judge Kirk,
assured him he could control the crowd, but the
friend finally concluded that the brother had
better leave that night, and to facilitate his de-
parture this friend drew his check for 800. The
witness and two or three friends escorted the
brother to the depot st Z o'clock that evening.
There was a crowd of several hundred men at
the depot but they did nothing except to raise a
yell as the train pulled out. The witness held
an inquest over the bodies OF the three lynched
negroes. The inquest continued all day and then
adjourned over two days to get more evidence.
During this interval two of the jurors asked the
| witness 70 call the jury together and have the
| thing finished, as they had been warned not to
| ask too many questions, and were afraid. On
cross examination the witness said he received
| two written notices to leave and several verbal
warnings by friends to look out.
| Question-Well, hadn't there been great
| many Republican officers in Washington county
| before2 Answer-Yes, sir.
| Q-Now, inasmuch as Republican oficehold-
/ ers had been in Office there without any threats
/ or molestation before, how do you account for
! the fact that threats were made this times A.
| / account for it in this way: that the Republican
| ticket was elected this time and the Democrats
| didn't want to give up the offices. and by that
| plan they could scare off the Republicans from
| contesting.
The witness further explained that til two
| years ago the Republicans had held the Offices,
/ but two years ago, owing to Republican split,
the Democrats were victorious. The Repub-
| licans had surrendered the Offices, and it was,
| as witness thought, to retain the hold the Demo
Gratis thus acquired that they created the excite
ment of last November. The witness for time
sent his family to the houses of neighbors te
| spend tho ights, while the witness himself some
| times spent nights in the woods and at other
times stayed at home surrounded by guard o.
| friends.
Senator Eussis named several Republican of
fice-holders who are now serving in Washington
county, and the witness said, in reply to inquir
les. that, though they had received notices t
leave, they had not been disturbed in the dis
charge OF their duties
Paul Frieke (whte) was sworn. He is a Re
| publican The excitement in Brenham after th,
election was such that Republicans were not al
lowed to talk to each other. Fifty men had tolt
, him they mad been warned not 10 be caugh
| talking to their follow Republicans The he
pubiicans generally kept themselves close II
their houses. The antpathy of the Democrats
toward Hackworth was due chiefly to the Inc
that he had teen the strongest OF the leaders
the colored Republicans and the one in whom
, they had most faith for twenty years Their
| was no attempt to array the colored pcopl
. against tho whites. The white and ccl9red Re